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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079453">Unquenchable Thirsts, Forbidden Desires.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/oH_cRaMiTY_iTs_aMiTY/pseuds/oH_cRaMiTY_iTs_aMiTY'>oH_cRaMiTY_iTs_aMiTY</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Owl House (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A (Small) Grom AU Thing Where Luz Disapears Suddenly and Everyone Becomes Depressed, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Amity pretty much falls in love with Luz even though Luz tries to tell her she's dangerous, Based on a My Chemical Romance Song, Character Turned Into Vampire, Confused Amity Blight, Curses, F/F, Gay, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, Luz Noceda Needs a Hug, Luz Noceda has ADHD, Luz is Scared Of Vampires 24/7 Despite Being One, Mild Language, Nervous Luz Noceda, No Lesbians Die, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Protective Luz Noceda, Romance, Runaway, Supernatural Creatures, The Boiling Isles (The Owl House), Vampire Bites, Vampire Family, Vampire Turning, Vampire/Witch Relationship, Vampires, Why Did I Write This?, Witches, depressed amity blight, missing characters, vampire!luz, witch!amity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 01:47:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/oH_cRaMiTY_iTs_aMiTY/pseuds/oH_cRaMiTY_iTs_aMiTY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em> "i want you to change me, turn me into one of your kind." </em>
</p><p>  <em> "are you truly foolish enough to believe the gift of immortality is something to be desired? as if i'm not a monster capable of doing such despicable things including murder just to sustain my livelihood." </em></p><p>  <em>"you aren't a monster. don't ever say something like that."</em></p><p>  <em>"but i am amity, don't you see? society doesn't enjoy the thought of bloodthirsty killers roaming their Bonesborough streets every time dusk falls, preying on potential rapists and other criminals in alleyways. i'm-"</em></p><p>  <em>"you must've forgotten that you don't scare me luz. you can't. i'm not scared of what you are, your still the same human girl i met years ago." </em></p><p>  <em>"you forget that i could kill you easily...and that scares me more than i'll ever admit... i don't want to hurt you amity."</em></p><p>  <em>"i've hurt so many times before, just thinking that you never saw me the same as i saw you..." </em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amity Blight/Luz Noceda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fanfics to educate the queer children, Welcome_To_TOH_We're_All_Gay_Here</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. i swear to god someone's there.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <em> I've spent so many years knowing so much about vampires and just blatantly having that sort of kink (but it's not like a kink-kink, I just find the topic fascinating) and finally decided to give in to my urge to sit down and pour this out.</em>
</p><p>  <em>For the record, I am aware of and know there is already vampire related fics for the TOH fandom and although this isn't meant to be inspired by any of them specifically, I just want to put that out there that these also exist so I don't get called out about writing a Vampire story and how it might be unoriginal. I've had this planned for a long time and I just decided that I would do it for TOH. </em></p><p>  <em> And for readers wanting to know the story and timeline of this fic- Luz is 14-14.5 in this first chapter, but will age through the story (rather quickly. It's just meant to catch the reader up to speed and acknowledge her transformation and life. I will mention age beginning of almost every chapter that led up to interactions with Amity and of that nature.) I've never wrote an action related story where vampires existed or where there is "violence?" So, hopefully it's not too unbearable. </em></p><p>  <em> I got this idea laying in bed at 3am, getting scared being in the dark listening to My Chemical Romance... Then I just couldn't help myself from envisioning this whole thing. So I'm really excited and optimistic about sharing it. </em></p><p> <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITNYUmM50g">This is the song that mainly inspired it all, the Acappella version of "This is How I Disappear" by My Chemical Romance.</a></em></p><p>  <em>  <em></em></em><br/><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/64TJJ7QdcburOiIHc4WRqc?si=dY8JujwrSV-j1u5QlsAPgQ">Unquenchable Thirsts, Forbidden Desires. (the official playlist) &lt;3</a><br/></p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <em>written to Phoebe Bridgers' 'Savior Complex' </em>
</p><p>  <em>If you don't listen to Phoebe Bridgers I beg of you to please take a chance on Punisher, it's such a good album to sit down and calmly vibe to while being depressed in the dark at 2am. </em></p><p>  <em>Edited while I was questionably stoned- uh... don't do drugs kids...</em></p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-14.5 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The cool autumn breeze came to lash against Luz’s slender frame as she walked briskly down the pavement, hands shoved deep in the pockets of her jean shorts as her hood covered her head. Finding a stray pebble entertaining as it bounced against the cement and rebounded up against the tip of her white slip on shoe while she continued on her route home. Dusk beginning to fall around her seamlessly unannounced.</p><p> </p><p>Her stomach growled, coming to be quickly unbothered by the bystander strangers that she wove around as she made sure to keep her head down while she kept moving toward the pathway that belonged to her street.</p><p> </p><p>She’s pushed suddenly by a middle aged man as she swooped around him, the contact effortlessly caused her to stumble a bit and falter her quick pace as she quickly disregarded him for being pushed towards an unfamiliar alley way.</p><p> </p><p>Oddly enough, the universe sensed her general unnerve as she started to rapidly spin around on her worn heels to turn back onto the path when she suddenly found the first few droplets of rain moisten themselves against a purple cat ear, then another against her hood. The light sprinkle shifts to a downpour within a matter of minutes, and Luz doesn’t think much of the matter apart from the inconvenience. Momentarily cursing the universe and it’s obscure ways.</p><p> </p><p>A voice stops her from walking out of the estranged darkened path.</p><p> </p><p>It sounds from further down the alley. Without much context, the female voice sent a shiver tingling down her spine, it’s a faint holler of <em>her</em> name.</p><p> </p><p>It’s too dark to really see down the narrow path, the only real light came from a flickering streetlamp above her as she barely made out the shape of power lines that ran between the two buildings on either side of her, mentally stalling at the same time as she stepped timidly forward.</p><p> </p><p>“Who’s there?” She questioned.</p><p> </p><p>The only response was her name yelled again, it almost sounded as if it came from further away that time and it sends Luz sprinting at the thought that someone might need her help. Being the caring person that she was, she’d never turn away someone in need.</p><p> </p><p>Splashing through half-filled puddles of murky rainwater and easily ruining the cleanliness of her shoes. Luz isn’t sure who it might be, but the voice sounds familiar.</p><p> </p><p>She slowly trots to a stop in exhaustion, easily managing to forget momentarily how out of shape she was. Incoherently mumbling something about her <em>‘nerd legs’</em> beneath her breath while she took a minute to heave fresh air back into her deprived lungs but not before she brought a hand up to wipe the ridiculous amount of sweat that collected on her brow from the laughable distance  She stays hunched over and panting harshly for another minute, sucked in a breath and brought her eyes to the darkness, “Hello?” She tried again.</p><p> </p><p>It’s within a small glimmer of a streetlamp that Luz’s stomach dropped. It’s something that causes squinting to become a necessity, still unsure that her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, but despite how much Luz denied the vision, it’s for certain that she easily spotted dyed green hair through the orange hued lamp. There is a figure towered over her, with a few more flickers from the streetlamp it’s seen that the human-like figure had Amity in the air, against the wall with their hand scrunched in the collar of her shirt while it continued to hold her in place.</p><p> </p><p>She looked to be squirming, – If not thrashing. – against the hold. Obviously uncomfortable, and attempting to shove her hands against the figure’s hold.</p><p> </p><p>“Amity!” Luz managed to call out, choking on a mortified scream, “Stop.”</p><p> </p><p>The human-shaped man darted it’s eyes toward her, she noticed his unusually pale face.</p><p> </p><p>If Luz thought it was a human at all before, she was beyond wrong. Dressed in black robes underneath a streetlamp as fierce red irises with blown pupils glare at her. It sent some kind of trance running through her entire subconscious in what was to be believed as trepidation. She stopped dead in her tracks, the pale ghostly face snarled wickedly at her, baring long pointed canines.</p><p> </p><p><em>What the heck, are those— Fangs</em>?</p><p> </p><p>“Luz—”</p><p> </p><p>“Amity. No! Stop!” Luz quickly rushed out. The Latina managed to conjure up the energy to run up to the figure in an attempt to shove against the monster’s side while they cornered Amity further. It didn’t budge them at all.</p><p> </p><p>The action simply added to their aggravation further, without much warning they craned their attention to Luz and hissed sharply while she continued to fight against the enamored monster to free Amity from the life threatening position, “¡Déjala en paz!”</p><p> </p><p>“Foolish child,” It laughed sharply, almost devil like.</p><p> </p><p>The sound went straight to her gut as it released its hold on Amity. The brown-rooted witch slid down the wall with a sharp whimper. Water continued to lash against Luz’s head as the three of them stood inches from one another. She notes how the beast started to creep ever-so slightly toward her with an alarmingly wide toothy smile as it focused all of its attention on Luz and her frustration, “Didn’t anyone ever teach you not to put your nose in other people’s business?”</p><p> </p><p>Amity reached limply out toward the monster, a fatal attempt to grab wantonly at the bottom of the black robe they wore, “Luz, no—”</p><p> </p><p>“Run, just run,” Luz responded quickly to her. The human let herself cut off the witch as her eyes flick back up to blood red ones, “Take me instead. Don’t hurt her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Luz—” Amity called again, Luz blinks as the figure swept closer to her, effortlessly grabbed her by her collar and lifted her several inches within the air in almost a bone crushing grip. Luz assumes it could crush exactly that if it was put to the chance to. The fresh rain clawed its way into her hair already matted hair as her hood slid free with the sheer force.</p><p> </p><p>“Run,” Luz hollered.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz—”</p><p> </p><p>“No! Amity, run!”</p><p> </p><p>Amity didn’t say anything differently.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, she repeated her name once again, the voice grew louder in volume as the beast exposed their fangs and let out an animistic growl in reply. It’s a sharp sting, almost as if her throat was closing up within itself as what she believes is venom trickled its way into her bloodstream.</p><p> </p><p>It stung, like a thousand bee stings mixed with the oversensitive feeling of burning one’s own flesh on a hot stove top. All of her nerves screamed out in unrestrained agony as fangs pierced through her tan flesh. Seconds spawned dizziness upon her brain as her eyes slowly lulled shut without much conformation.</p><p> </p><p>Patterned with the soft flutter of her weakened heart that struggled to consistently beat during this traumatic sensation. Letting her life slip into the monster’s mouth. Her breath came pouring past her chapped lips in a slow drawled out pants. Without a questionable choice, Luz submitted to the monster.</p><p> </p><p>Her last sight was of Amity, behind her eyelids, consisting of parted lips exhaling her name loudly. The scene around her came in slow moving frames. Unsure of what’s real or hallucinatory. A shaky bloodcurdling scream emitted from the back of her throat.</p><p> </p><p>As much trouble as it was to suppress it, the Latina couldn’t help but to let out a panicked last resort distress call. It’s not aimed at calling for help, but she couldn’t help but feel the wantonly searing pain control her brain subconsciously.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like a fire, her body. Crackled embers pressed against the bitten vein in her neck, almost the comparable feeling of hot coals dancing upon skin mercilessly made her feel that it was time.</p><p> </p><p>There was no use to fight it. Luz couldn’t win.</p><p> </p><p>She could only hope that Amity would understand to run.  </p><p> </p><p>As soon as it became intolerable, the pain  quickly diminished, and she felt the light from behind her closed eyelids fade to black whilst her heart slows to a stop.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Luz bolted awake in a panicked sweat, the blankets that hugged her half-dressed frame fell from her shoulders as she succumbed to the darkness of her bedroom walls. She guessed it was still night from the shadow of her personal belongings that echoed across the perimeter of her room. She reached over tentatively to the nightstand beside her bed to use a hand to fling her charger from her phone’s battery port.</p><p> </p><p>Lent back against the pillows of her twin bed seconds afterward, Luz squinted at the brightness of the device, without a thought, she brought a hand up to rub her weary eyes. The current time being projected to Luz along with her lock screen photo.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Amity and her as well as Eda and King.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>She smiled softly at the warm faces that took up the entirety of the touch screen cradled tightly in her hands. Quietly, she moved a finger over the edge of King’s skull covered face, containing wide and charming poison shaded eyes with a devilish glint hinting suspicion based upon his flared cocky nostrils upwardly turned at the grasp Eda had on his jawline. Armed folded, he looked sternly at the camera, she took another breath and bit her inner cheek, she internally debated with herself at how much of a comfort she should allow herself to feel at the sight of her friends.</p><p> </p><p>She dearly missed them. The human world was not truly her home.</p><p> </p><p>“Miss you bud,” She murmured softly to the screen, she shifted her finger to brush over Eda’s wide mane, “You too Owl Lady.”</p><p> </p><p>Amity’s semi-pink face brought her back to attention, a nervous smile plastered over her lips as Luz herself held the camera above them. Capturing the four of them in frame as they hung out in the Owl House.</p><p> </p><p>Luz remembered it well, all of the simple details that regarded taking the photo now. How it became necessary to pull Amity close because of her all-too nervous behavior and uncertainty to her cellphone.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>‘Come on, it’s just a picture Amity. It’s not scary, see? I’ll show you.’</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>‘Are you crazy?! You call that a camera from where you’re from, human? It looks like it could eat us.’</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>‘Oh my gosh, you’re so dramatic Blight, it’s not going to hurt you, see? The light just flashes when I press the button on the screen.’</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz gave a loud sigh as the screen fell dark again, “I think I might miss you the most of all Blight.”</p><p> </p><p>Her head snapped up quickly, immediately craning her ear to the eerie silence, witnessing the abrupt disturbance of a branch snapping from outside her window. Effortlessly, it drew her attention full force back to reality.</p><p> </p><p>She moved to sit up in bed, shifting around toward the window with her natural inquisitive intuition. The Latina remained quiet as she attempted to look out of her single window that gave an uninhibited view into their backyard, she found nothing out of the ordinary.</p><p> </p><p><em>“It’s probably fine,”</em> She coached herself quietly, her teeth caught her bottom lip as she blinked furiously at the yard. The panicked teen took a deep breath to try to settle her racing heart rate as she rubbed her eyes and scanned outside the window again, “See? Nothing. We should just go right back to sleep. Yep, sleep sounds totally great right about now.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz shook her head and twisted herself back around on the mattress, trying to position herself back against the hardened pillow beneath her head. She tugged the scattered blankets back over herself and inwardly sighed, “It was just a dream. Vampires don’t exist. You’ve just got a crazy imagination Noceda.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz eventually let her eyes fall half lidded, quickly yawning in exhaustion. There’s something that catches her hazy gaze. It forced her back awake. Almost rattling any sort of comfort she had just achieved in the past few moments before. She noticed a strange human-like figure that sparked her paranoia all over again. On the furthest wall, a silhouette that stays unmoving, almost like—</p><p> </p><p>—they were watching her.</p><p> </p><p>The thought alone makes all of the hair stand up on the back of Luz’s neck, she raced up to the window once again to see the silhouette’s owner quickly, unbothered to keep her strategic nature or maliciously tactful in her ways of spying on the stalker. The result was the same as before, the wind blew against the tree in the empty backyard swiftly. Nothing changed.</p><p> </p><p>Luz let out a pained ridden groan of pure annoyance, rubbing her eyes and clearing her throat with her racing mind ticking away within her skull. She subconsciously denied the fact that she might be losing her mind. This wasn’t the Boiling Isles, there was no such thing as bloodsucking beasts or— Truly anything supernatural at her knowledge. It was her own dimension, not some backwards fairy tale with animated houses, or Griffins with spider breath.</p><p> </p><p>She abruptly squirmed back beneath her blankets further, recreating her comforting fetal position for the umpteenth time, Luz scanned the room for the shadow purposefully once again.</p><p> </p><p>Goosebumps begin to spread across her arms as she stared hard at the furthest wall.</p><p> </p><p>For a minute she’s tempted to look out of her window once again, but decides not. Letting her mind wander down the rabbit hole of potentially being afraid to know if her superstition was correct.</p><p> </p><p>The figure is gone.</p><p> </p><p>She debates once again whether or not it even existed in the first place, but derides that she was in fact correct in seeing a human-like figure possibly watching her.</p><p> </p><p>Stalking her purposefully.</p><p> </p><p>Luz wanted to scream at the thought. Her lungs burned with how quickly she inhaled and exhaled, hyperventilating as a panic attack washed over her. Her skin starting to sweat as she continued clutching the blankets against herself, her grip is hard enough that she’s almost nervous she might rip a hole in them with her nails.</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, she didn’t find that sleep was her friend for the rest of that night.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“I swear to you, I’m not crazy. You’ve got to believe me.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz was now sat in the nurses office, on a caramel colored cot. She held a bag of almost melted ice over her forehead a women dressed in a white cardigan fiddled with a thermometer. The older woman brought the cool metal stick toward Luz’s frenzied expression, the Latina took it unbothered underneath her tongue without question.</p><p> </p><p>“Vampires?” The woman exclaimed, “There’s no such thing… Apart from movies and those strange supernatural stories you hear. There’s no such thing as vampires Miss Noceda, quite the preposterous statement.”</p><p> </p><p>“Look,” Luz began to plead, her tone dropping several octaves as she lifted the ice pack from her forehead slightly to look at the nurse better as she stood transfixed on the temperature reader in her hands. “I know it totally sounds insane and completely fake. But I’m not crazy. I know someone was watching me last night. I—”</p><p> </p><p>The thermometer beeped abruptly, cutting the rest of Luz’s self-reserved monologue off. The women lent forward and pulled the warm object from Luz’s mouth. She shucked the germ cover into the waste bin beside her desk. Unbothered to answer to Luz’s inner struggles, “Well, you aren’t running a fever. I’m afraid I can’t let you go home.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence broke out, and Luz gave a small nod before parting her lips to speak. “—Do you think I’m crazy?” Luz stated, almost pleadingly.</p><p> </p><p>The women latched the wooden medicine cabinet shut after tucking the thermometer away, “Do you want the honest truth or the sugarcoated one kid?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz’s face contorted into one of insecurity, “Honest? I’m not sure if I could handle anything any other way.” </p><p> </p><p>The nurse took a deep breath, coming to take a seat beside Luz as she reached a reassuring hand over to pat on the Latina’s legging covered knee, “I don’t believe what you’re saying sweetheart.”</p><p> </p><p>“But—” Luz started to protest, only to be cut off by the nurse continuing.</p><p> </p><p>“But that doesn’t mean that it’s not true.”</p><p> </p><p>“I see,” She replied, exhaling glumly.</p><p> </p><p>“But unfortunately, since this does count as a statement that could potentially endanger your life, I’ll need to call your mother.”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Luz shot out immediacy, alarming the women with the sudden protest, “I m-mean… No! Please, don’t do that. My mom…” She frowns, “She wouldn’t believe me either, probably would just want to send me to therapy or tell me to not be so childish anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Honey,” The nurse interrupted, “If this is potentially a threat to your life, you mother should take it seriously.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is!” Luz replied quickly, “You’ve got to believe me, I’m in serious danger.”</p><p> </p><p>The period bell rings seconds later, the noise interrupted their conversation and made Luz panic further, somehow acting even more skittish and on edge as the schools nurse rises from the cot and moved to stretch a curtain around the bed, “I want you to take a nap, try and see if that’ll help you at all.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t—” Luz stammered out briefly before sighing deeply, “Alright.”</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>“Mi hija, what is this news that I heard of you telling the school’s nurse that you saw a vampire last night?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz looked up from her graphic novel and pursed her lips as her mom held up her cellphone towards Luz’s eyes, “Mom—”</p><p> </p><p>“I already told you this. I’ve told you it once and I’ll tell you again, you need to not imagine such heinous fantasy worlds. It’ll affect your dreams. Maybe you need to stop reading those fantasy books?”</p><p> </p><p>“Books?” Luz exclaimed quickly, “No! Mamá, I swear I’m serious. This has nothing to do with books, I saw what I saw.”</p><p> </p><p>She clicked her tongue, almost seeming annoyed and skeptical as she stared at Luz. The eldest Noceda brought a hand up to push her rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose as her opposite hand folded on her hip, “I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mom, you’ve got to believe me. Someone was actually watching me, I can totally prove it. It’s not fair, I’m not lyin—”</p><p> </p><p>“¡Suficiente!” Camila sternly cut her off, she sighed as she reached a hand up to rub her temple, “There’s no such thing as vampires Luz, there wasn’t in— Wherever you were, and there isn’t now. You need to remember that.”</p><p> </p><p>“But mamá —”</p><p> </p><p>“No. Enough Luz. You need to not worry about such foolish things. Nothing is going to hurt you. Relax.”</p><p> </p><p>Luz sighed, almost coming out defeated, “I know what I saw mom.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s your imagination Luz,” she corrects.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not!” Luz argued sternly, “I can’t believe you don’t believe me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mi hija,” Camila shook her head, “It’s not that I don’t believe you. You’ve just been always known to have such a wide imagination, you think of such weird things that don’t even exist.”</p><p> </p><p>“But vampires exist mom, I saw one.”</p><p> </p><p>“You saw a shadow,” Camila corrected, “It’s not the same—”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t matter!” Luz argued, “I could die and you’re not even taking it seriously.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not going to die, don’t say such foolish things like that mi pequeña.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not foolish!” Luz rose her voice, Camila’s frown broadened.</p><p> </p><p>“Enough,” She clarified, “I don’t want to hear another word about this vampire nonsense. You aren’t going to die. If I hear a peep about this again I won’t let you read those books anymore. I don’t think they’re doing anything good for your mind. I think they might be scaring you.”</p><p> </p><p>“They aren’t scaring me mom,” Luz said, “I just know deep down I saw something that wasn’t a shadow. I don’t understand why you don’t believe me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because mi hija,” Camila sighed, “This isn’t another dimension, I think your just confused. You’re seeing things to make up for your boredom. And that’s normal. I’ve always known you to want to pretend, but you need to grow up a little bit. There’s no reason you need to go around spreading these incredulous ideas. Your going to frighten everyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“But mom, I thought you understood. I’m not like everyone. I don’t want to fit in. I never had,” Luz explained, “When I was in that other dimension I felt like I finally belonged somewhere, and to know that I can’t be there anymore— With my friends…. hurts me quite frankly. You don’t know what that’s like. I loved being an outcast, and I know that I will never fit in. No matter how much people want me to. That just isn’t me. You should stop expecting that from me. I’m a weirdo, and I’m not afraid to express it.”</p><p> </p><p>Silence broke between them, Camila’s expression goes unchanged as Luz slowly trails off. Gathering the message that she must’ve gone on too long. Her mother breaks quiet, sighing loudly before clearing her throat.</p><p> </p><p>“Dinner will be ready in an hour. I traded Isabelle’s night shift this morning, so I’ll be leaving in half an hour to go to the hospital.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Luz murmured softly, staying silent for another minute, “What are we having?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sancocho.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cool,” Luz exhaled.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>“If you knew what was good for you mighty beast, you’d be ever so foolish to attack!” Azura shouted, the mighty lava dragon breathed a long string of smoke from its nostrils as he flares them in the air with disposition.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Azura! You cannot stop me in my mission, you are too late!”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The witch twirls her wand, bringing her opposite hand up to grasp along the rod, her determined eyes narrowed at the lava beast. Taking her time to study the degrading magma platform beneath her feet. It appeared that she’d be foolish to attack the beast in that current moment. One wrong move and it would become fatal for her life.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Perhaps. But do you know what you will do once you succeed?” She stalled.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The lava figure paused in its gleeful state, studying the witch as she stood proudly, “Ever so inquiring Azura. Why, yes I have.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“May you enlighten me then?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“I dream of getting out of this cave,” The monster said, “You see, I’ve been trapped here for the past hundred years from a fatal curse. I cannot move from this cave… If I should. I would die.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Azura took a minute, and an idea sprang to her mind as the volcano appeared to vibrate once again, she only had seconds before the village would become plunged in hot fiery magma, “If I help you escape, will you not let the volcano erupt? You would be hurting hundreds of people.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Why of course, I do not want to hurt those people Good Witch.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Very well, I shall help free you—”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>“Miss Noceda, I do not believe this is the time for reading books.”</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Luz’s gaze snapped out from her book as she brought her eyes up to Mr. Nichols’ lecture about the industrial revolution. A few kids snickered as she shook her head firstly and closed the book, tucking it back beneath her arm as he resumed teaching seconds later. Luz seemingly yawned softly in boredom as she set her eyes back onto the PowerPoint slide that covered the screen.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Hey, Luz.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Calum. A kid from the grade above her, tapped her shoulder causing her to slowly turn around.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s with that guy staring at you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Guy?” Luz questioned to the blonde boy, he gave a nod and pointed to the window in the corner, sure enough there was indeed a figure.</p><p> </p><p>It looked to be a man dressed in full black attire stood on the walkway on the school’s front lawn, unable to potentially see in due to the one-way glass. But still having managed to make the Latina uneasy. The figure was significantly paler, and upon glancing at them they visually straightened their back.</p><p> </p><p>Students began to murmur softly to themselves, catching looks at Luz as she blinked silently. She could feel her stomach drop and all of the color drain from her face in despair.</p><p> </p><p>“What was that?” Calum questioned.</p><p> </p><p>Luz doesn’t respond right away, deep in her thoughts as she panicked in silence.</p><p> </p><p>“Luz?”</p><p> </p><p>“What-AH,” She jumped before sighing, “Sorry. What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who was that. Do you know?”</p><p> </p><p>Luz blinked slowly at the boy, shaking her head in denial at his question.</p><p> </p><p>In all honesty she wanted to say she genuinely did, but it didn’t appear she knew what it was. She didn’t want to say what she directly believed it to be, because she was already terrified.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Vampire.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Having her fear appear in the flesh sent something rattling through her spirit. It almost seemed that moment changed her life forever.</p><p> </p><p>She knew she couldn’t be who she was without being scared of whoever that figure might be.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>‘Oh, Eda… What would you do in my position?’</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><hr/>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Kind of iffy about this, I'm not sure how people will like this type of thing.</p><p>Comment something down below I can stop loathing myself and debating on whether or not this should be finished.</p><p>Was trying to make this suspenseful and thrilling, but it's probably really crappy... Whatever, I hope you enjoyed it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. you want blood and i promised</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>can't believe i got so much positive feedback on the first chapter. not so sure about this, but it's gonna get better if you read on. i've got so many ideas about writing this story... i'm trying to write in a different sort of way to make myself seem more professional.</p><p>(chapter title taken from "savior complex" by phoebe bridgers. love her as an artist so much.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>{-15 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Luz hadn’t been able to sleep since she encountered the questionable vampire on the school lawn. She’d been afraid at the idea of closing her eyes for a long period of time, in fear that the same figure would be after her in her dreams as well. After that fatal scare, she also vowed to keep herself locked in her room as much as possible. Through anything and everything, she felt the safest there.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It sort of balanced out that she didn’t really ever hang out with anyone anyway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But then again, it exactly wasn’t for certain if someone was truly after her. The possibility that her mother could be right always lingered at the back of her mind even still, pinning it on her usual mental antics. However, Luz remembered she was right previously about many things supernatural related, Bonesborough being her outstanding achievement. The day that she fell into the demonic related realm she was forever gifted with pure happiness. Like all of the denial that had been previously forced on her about her being wrong all of those years regarding those same exact things, just faded away. It didn’t matter if those rejection had ever taken toll on her spirits, she was right at that moment and no one could ever tell her it never happened.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>For a summer she lived in the world where she was finally right.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Though with her own luck, Luz didn’t doubt for a minute that someone could be hunting her. Maybe it was because of The Boiling Isles in general, or perhaps there was an unknown rule that Eda never told her. Where once someone perchance might’ve stepped through that portal they were never supposed to make it back to their own dimension if they crossed into Bonesborough.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Of course there was the underlying possibility of the other person needing to bring her back.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘How would one even get back?’ Luz surely didn’t know.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>‘Maybe Eda was in trouble</em>?’ Luz also didn’t know<em>.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Come to think of it, through all of this supernatural speculation, things were starting to be shaping up to be just like it would be in those books she used to read; where the protagonist runs into the problem unknowingly and ends up having to save the day. Figuring out that they were some kind of key to stopping the impending doom of the world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But then again, it really wasn’t like those books at all. She was no hero. What difference did it make that she went to another realm. It’s not like anyone believed her. And to be frank, there was so much different between Azura and herself. For starters, the fact that Azura was undoubtedly such a better witch than her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Witch</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She hadn’t heard that term in so long. Luz took a deep breath and reached for her open sketchpad further down the bed, she uncapped a marker and began drawing the familiar light glyph across the sheet. Perhaps as a way of checking about whether or not she was really able to do that fantastic thing she did with Eda not too long ago. Finishing the circular design with the whole sheet of paper in a matter of a minute, without hesitation Luz pressed her fingers flat against the center of the glyph.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The response was almost immediate and the same as it had been all of those times before. Managing to reach for the familiar glowing orb of light within the glyph all the while the sheet from the sketchbook disintegrated into nothing seconds afterward. She took the ball of light into her palms and stared at it silently, carefully sizing the sphere between hands.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>At least she still had this. </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>This could still remind her that it all was real.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>But it was times like now that Luz somehow wished she could call to Eda. She knew that the Owl Lady would know exactly what to do in this situation, or relatively at the most. Luz couldn’t be sure, Eda felt too far away mentally at this point in time. It’d been so long that it almost seemed like a dream when she’d try to remember the fine details of that world. It scared her to know that she might forget everything eventually.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Forget King.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Her friends from Hexside, and Amity— She couldn’t call Amity her ‘<em>friend</em>.’ She wasn’t sure what the witch exactly thought of them to be so curt. They were sort of friends, but at the same time it wasn’t… Luz couldn’t exactly put her finger on the exact term.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Perhaps Amity was her <em>best</em> friend.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Oh, but she promised King that they’d be <em>best</em> friends.</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Luz knew that Eda would know what to do nonetheless, she was about ninety-eight percent positive about that though. Eda seemed like the sort of person to have dealt with a few vampires back in her day— However long Eda’s day was. <em>How old was she? </em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p><em>Could you ask a witch how old she was? </em>Maybe it was still disrespectful like with humans. Luz probably shouldn’t now that she debates the possible outcomes. Customs were so weird over there. But she liked them all, nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Alas, in the meantime Luz called upon her second best option of deciphering this madness, a beat up edition of <em>Dracula</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Of course there was always the internet to figure out the fine details of understanding her current situation, Luz didn’t doubt that she could find all of the information that she could possibly dream of from it, but there was just something that seemed like it was missing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The book had a proper story, understanding the basic weaknesses of the fictional creature seemed to spur on the open ended question of what did she exactly see that day.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was indeed daylight where the monster had stood. There was no doubt that sunlight was hitting the figure. That’s what seemed to stump Luz the most--- Vampires were supposedly not to be out in the sun— Or awake at that time for that matter. Something about them needing to recharge in their coffins.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As it continued on, it didn’t appear to be very much information within the book regarding their superhuman powers either. She wasn’t expecting anything like <em>Twilight’s</em> definition of vampires and their superhuman strengths, but she figures they’ve got to have incredulous speed at the least. It was the only viable option on figuring out why the shadow disappeared so fast.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But a part of Luz still wondered if she could stop the beast on her own. There wasn’t much that she thought to do previously, especially when the vampire left her at loss for words each time she encountered it, effortlessly leaving her defenseless all the while. <em>How would she manage to kill it?</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A soft knock alerts her from her conflicted thoughts, dispersing the light orb and rushing out a soft greeting before the door swung open slowly, revealing her mother standing in the doorway with a puzzled look on her face.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Luz said, attempting a cheerful tone, “What’s going on?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Camila hummed out slowly, “Not much, I was just checking on you, wanted to advise you that you should go outside. It’s nice out.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz glanced out of the window towards the backyard and pursed her lips. Of course she wanted to go outside, she loved the feeling of reading in their split maple tree with a bag of candy in her sweatshirt pocket. But she couldn’t, she didn’t want to risk anything. <em>Vampires</em>. If one appeared at the school during the day, then one could show up in their backyard too. She gave a small shrug to the older woman, “Dunno Mom, I kind of just wanted to read.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t you go and read outside then? Feel some fresh air in your lungs. No?”</p><p> </p><p><br/>Luz almost squirms at the proposal, scrunching up her face at the idea and continuing to stand her ground, “You know, I really don’t want to actually,” Luz interjected, “I think it might rain later.” She added on, trying her best to lie successfully.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Rain?” Camila stated, “No way… That darn weatherman.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The annoyed response makes Luz break from her deep thinking to crack an amused smile, forgetting about the vampire situation momentarily in favor of her mom’s frazzled demeanor, “What’s the matter now?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t believe this—” Camila rolled her eyes, “I left the sunroof open.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh jeez, well go shut it mom!” She called after her as she disappeared around the corner following the brief exchange, coming to bring herself back into reading more into the book in front of her. She found that no part of it mentioned shadows. Mirrors yes, she learned that vampires are unable to see their own reflections. Then again, it was still always a possibility that what she saw wasn’t real at all. But she never doubted it to not be real, she was right about a lot of things, so she knew deep down that it wasn’t her boredom playing tricks on her. <em>This was real.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, there was still no way she could prove it to be and that fact alone was what came to affect her the most mentally. No one believed her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Becoming fed up, she closed the book and reached for her phone.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She smoothed her thumbs over the touch screen of her phone. Bringing up the search bar to a web browser, she types out the burning question and clicks on the first response.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>“How do you kill a vampire?”</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The webpage is a list, from one to ten Luz reads each answer inside of her head. Skimming the detailed text briefly to save time, none of the ways appeared to be something that she could do. They all seemed violent and risky, Luz didn’t want to kill anyone, has she gone mad? She’s almost fifteen and being hunted by a vampire. This wasn’t her first choice.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s not normal… Like… At all.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The list went on about the possible ways… Beheading them, burning them with holy fire, having them ingest religious artifacts…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>None of which Luz could possibly do. There’s no way in heck she could confidently decapitate something, let alone stake it through an unbeaten heart.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Could she? She’s not a vampire slayer. There’s no way she’d ever be brave enough to do such a thing. Azura would be so much braver than her. She’s not a hero, a poor excuse for a human really.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>However, the last answer on the same list made her perk up significantly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Death by magic.</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She could do magic… Okay… Maybe things could be okay.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Luz jolts awake again, disorientated once more, she scans the room for anything even remotely different. Nothing. With a heavy sigh, Luz ran a hand through her messy bangs and blinked a few times, attempting to piece together the scattered dream she just interrupted. More like another nightmare. She blinks through the flaring snapshots, red and white, burning and searing behind her eyelids. Fresh and completely visible to her own horror. But to her relief, the foreign feeling of fangs gouging into the fatal artery within her neck feels less prominent as the seconds pass. She reached up to trace the tan skin that had been injured seconds earlier, only to find it smooth and undamaged.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The feeling makes her let out another sigh of relief, feeling significantly pleased that her nightmare wasn’t true at all. The Latina takes another couple of minutes to think about things, sitting up further in her bed to survey the darkened room around her more. She reaches for her phone once again from its place on the nightstand, bypassing the lock screen for her internet history. She pulls up the last page she traveled to and scrolls a few lines down until she comes back to the part of the passage where she left off on.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“To fend off a vampire, there are many things one can do… For instance, one could carry a crucifix in the form of a necklace. As discussed previously reader, vampires despise religious artifacts. Or if religion isn’t your thing, one could also carry garlic instead. Learned quite recently, vampires treat garlic as a form of poison. They will not go near you if you carry it on you at all times, and in any circumstances where a vampire might ingest it, it will be incredibly determential for their health… Which is good news for you…”</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz bit the edge of her thumb as she continued staring at the screen, weary pupils scanning over thin text as she reread the words a couple of times.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>Garlic</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>An idea struck her as her phone fell asleep in her hand, eyes roamed the room blindly even still as she decided to put her irrational fear to the side at that minute. She flipped the rest of the covers off of herself before creeping down the steps to the kitchen downstairs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s after two in the morning based on the microwave clock. At this point, she knew deep down she’s never felt more awake despite the ridiculous hour. It was like she was physically brimming with electricity as she tugged swiftly on the broad handle that belonged to the refrigerator door, the cool air spilling over her tan skin all the while the LED light blinded her eyesight temporarily. It causes her to squint sharply while it took a minute to adjust to the vision change, kneeling over to reach for the crisper drawer to take out a small, ventilated package within the compartment. A small creak that sounded practically feet from her causes her to directly stop her actions, however.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She spun around on her heel to face the rest of the darkened house. The near walls being coated lightly in the refrigerator’s stray light as an orange streetlamp shun dully through half-lidded blinds. There’s nothing but silence around her. The only sound Luz heard at that minute was her own breathing echoing within her eardrums. She could feel her heart pound against her ribcage as she stood in front of the open refrigerator still.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>‘What a funny way to die, don’t you think Eda?</em>’ She questioned mentally with a small frown, she tried her best to shrug off the unnecessary panic, <em>‘I mean, imagine dying in your pajamas at two in the morning, huh? How dumb does that sound. Dumb vampires, they shouldn’t scare me.’</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With a calming breath, she fiddled with the netted package in her hands, her fingers quickly dug into the side of an untampered garlic bulb. Finding the cue to hastily pull it free from the netted case, she pushed it into a pocket of her sleep shorts before putting the other bulbs back into the drawer and closing the refrigerator door. The girl turned back toward the stairs that led up toward the second level of the house and began to take them two at a time quietly. Attempting to rush back towards her room as fast as she could without waking her mother.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If her mother found that she was awake… Oh, she’d never hear the end of it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But in the meantime, deep down Luz doesn’t care. She isn’t willing to take any more chances to risk herself getting killed. Luz quite frankly wanted to limit the engagement to the supernatural community as much as she possibly could, she doesn’t believe that’s too much to ask for.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz sets the garlic bulb beneath her pillow before she properly resumed her previous position in bed, her hand touches it briefly while she rested her eyes. Luz was starting to think that it wasn’t too bad anymore, she didn’t think things would get any worse. It was just garlic, if that was the cure to stop whoever then she’d totally carry around garlic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sure, it wasn’t her personal option, no one wants to carry around garlic, but desperate times call for desperate measures.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Luz didn’t know it then, but things were definitely bound to get worse as time went on.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Can anybody answer the question to number five’s word problem?” </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She’s back in the least favorite place any teenager would imagine.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If there’s one place Luz disliked more than her own dimension it was earth school… With her earth classes and earth teachers. It was unfathomably boring, there was no pizzazz, no interesting qualities. No explosions, nothing magical to keep her interests.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>If anything, her focus kept switching every five seconds, she couldn’t quite concentrate on anything really. The text on her math book kept jumping up from the page all the while she tried to scrawl down the problems into a spiral notebook. The lined page already having filled with doodles as well as scribbled out words in her signature purple inked pen from throughout the period.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>What would happen if she just got up right now and decided to walk out? Would someone stop her? She almost gave a snort at the thought.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She believed that this wasn’t even remotely worth it, more than anything she wanted to walk out and just get out of this boredom. She’s sure a lot of the other kids felt the same way about this, and like them, she wasn’t willing to get up and leave. Luz wasn’t known to be bad at all, sure, rules can be bent. But she’d never have the guts to break them. She was just sick of this place, it wasn’t Hexside. She figures why should she study something she never will possibly use in the real world. <em>When are you going to use algebra in the real world anyway? </em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz just wasn’t devoted to the subject. Plain and simple.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Gosh, she’d want to slap herself if she woke up one day wanting to pursue a career to voluntarily study math. <em>Since when did people want to do math as a profession?</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>She clicks her pen several times, trying not to squirm in her seat in an attempt to reclaim her focus. What was going on? She’s lost track of where they were again. <em>Crap</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Luz? Do you want to answer the question?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz immediately looked up, already at a loss for words as she felt the entire class look at her in curiosity. If she previously felt self-conscious at all, it surely had increased by ten percent as the teacher stared at her, partially confused at her,  “I-I— No!—Wait… I mean… Yes— Sure?” Her stuttered response earned a few snickers from behind her as she slowly rose from her seat and managed to scrape the chair across the tiled floor upon doing so.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She takes the dry erase marker into her shaky hands and looked up to the scrawled out equation. Luz removes the cap and taps it swiftly on the ledge of the whiteboard as she begins to draw out an expansive demonstration on how she attempted to solve it.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Mrs. Hammel, I got 63+X. I think Luz is wrong.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Now hold on Eugene,” The teacher said swiftly, stopping Luz from her quick retreat back to her seat once she finished, “Could you explain how you got 8+X?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz gave a small nod, “Well—Uh… You see, first I—I took these two and did something with this one and poof—” She waved her hands enthusiastically, though it managed to come across as being extremely anxious and awkward, “I got that.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“But I didn’t get that,” One kid jeered annoyingly, several others chimed in soon after causing Luz to sigh and quietly take her seat.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m proud to admit that your right Luz,” The woman stated once the class died down immensely, the silence within the room became extremely dense to bear with as Luz perked her head up at the incredulous news. Several students begin to object otherwise, but they’re easily silenced with the teacher following Luz’s similar pattern with another problem written out on the board.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The bell rings after another impenetrable twenty minutes or so, and it brought fond thoughts to Luz’s brain as she quickly gathered her things in her small bag to sling over her shoulder briskly, just in time for her lunch period. A hand stopped her however, and Luz found the warm expression of her teacher quickly putting all of those plans on hold.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Can I speak to you for a minute Luz?” She said, and Luz panicked for a minute, she opened her mouth in an attempt to conjure up something significantly close to a proper sentence, however that quickly appeared to not be the outcome she achieved.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Uh…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You aren’t in any trouble,” The woman interjected with a wave of her hand, motioning to the Latina to come closer to her desk, “I wanted to see if everything was alright with you, I’ve noticed that you’ve been having a hard time paying attention.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Attention?” Luz remarked, “Said who? I’m doing just fine.” The last statement coming out as a sarcastic comment that could be easily translated to being an absolute lie based on her broken tone and the significant flinch she did seconds afterward as the older woman continued to stare at her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well…” She started, “I’m here if you need anything.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Sure thing,” Luz nodded, “Thanks.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah… Yeah… Totally,” She nodded back at her, “You go on to lunch now, apologies for keeping you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No!” Luz chimed, “It’s totally cool, I understand. Thanks for checking on me.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Whether or not Luz was ever going to take her up on that offer was undoubtedly a no. It was bad enough being a outcast, the last thing she needed to be was a teachers pet. Nonetheless the math teacher for crying out loud. <em>Yuck</em>.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She skips lunch in favor for the school’s library, deciding to pull out her homemade grape jam sandwich. Pulling off the crust as she propped her Azura book up on a few items, trying to sneak bites from the sandwich in between pages as she rehearsed the epic dialogue within her mind.</p><p> </p><p><br/>Her hand goes to dig something from her pocket, only to catch on the side of the garlic bulb, it smells sort of fowl upon further inspection. She decides to reuse her resealable sandwich bag for that exact purpose. Uncaring to really anything else but keeping the garlic on herself at all times.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>She’s just thankful that she hasn’t had any run ins for all she knew…</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>everyone's like "make her a vampire already!" and i promise... i promise highly that it's gonna happen... and amity... gosh... i just want to hug that bean... you'll understand later... i promise... everyone is so not like themselves in this fic... it's not funny. i suck at writing character dynamics... i hope it doesn't suck.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>...owlbert and hooty are the only chaotic duo i need in my life... king and luz are second...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. can you hear me call out to you?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>posted this earlier then took it back down because someone said it didn't make sense and so i got self conscious and rewrote the whole thing so hopefully it'll more sense then it did previously.</p><p>kind of like this better than before... someone asked for amity... i give you some amity... but most importantly... some angst and a rewritten version of grom that i had no business of writing... it just happened. </p><p>hope you enjoy... please just forgive the mistakes... you'll understand.</p><p>(chapter title taken from lyrics from "this is how i disappear" by my chemical romance.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> <em>{-16 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>The English classroom was ghostly quiet within the high school and Luz felt a certain sense of tiredness overtake her brain as she sat near the back of the room. The sun’s rays streamed through the open window beside her, they felt warm and calming as they relaxed over her frame softly. Her foot bounced like a jackhammer against the eerie white speckled tile, and her hand continued to quietly drum itself on the smooth desk she sat at. As well as tired, Luz was bored.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Very, very, bored.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Her attention was focused on outside of the window, watching the sluggish gusts of wind blow against the tips of emerald colored grasses, it was indeed a perfect day to go outside. It was apparent that spring was beginning early too, and Luz was excited for the showers of rain that came with April and May’s luscious blooming flowers. The atmosphere oddly tugged at something deep within Luz’s soul that she couldn’t quite explain. It had been a common theme with her, nature always somehow peaked her interest.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But alas, she was kept in an educated prison until three o’clock each weekday, leaving her unable to do precisely just that.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Luz?” She’s brought back to the present to find her teacher stood next to her desk. The middle-aged woman looking at her with concern.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Please pay attention,” She said, “Do you have any idea what we’re doing?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz’s mouth opened to quickly object, however no words came to escape past her lips. Her brain felt fuzzy, and nerves seemed to claw at her throat. The woman caught on quickly to the charade and pursed her lips, her face looked as if it was becoming annoyed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“We’re reading pages 37 to 42 out of our language and literature textbook,” The woman responded brashly. She combed through Luz’s messy pile of things covering the top of her designated workspace. “Do you even have it out?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I-um…” Luz stammered, she felt her face turning pink from the sheer embarrassment as the teacher continued to prod at her. Their voices were loud enough that the whole class could hear the exchange. “S-Sorry, I believe it’s in my locker.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Your locker?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz gave a nervous nod, “May I please go and get it?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The woman sighed; “Take the hall pass and hurry back.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Luz said. She rose from her seat quietly and began the small commute down the hallway. A yellow lanyard gripped tightly in her left hand all the while she tried to waste as much time as she could going to her locker on the second floor of the building. Her phone read that she only had another half an hour until it was time to leave, and it left her ecstatic.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It took Luz a few times to remember her locker combination, but she unlocked it and began to rummage through the pile of assorted papers at the bottom. Coming across the wanted item rather quickly and slowly trudging back to class.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The school hallways were quiet and empty apart from the unappealing sound of her shoes scraping together. She passed several classrooms and peaked through some of the door’s small windows to see in. It was apparent that she didn’t want to go back to class. But despite her stalling, it still left her with 25 minutes to spare.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She wakes up to the school bell blaring her awake from a daydream. She almost falls out of her seat all the while she saw her other peers lined up beside the exit of the room.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz pulled the strap of her backpack further over her shoulder as she suddenly felt a sluggish gust of wind tousle her bangs into her face while she walked further down the broken sidewalk. Her opposite hand played with the worn necklace that hung around her neck while the other pushed the offending hair from her eyes and calmly sighed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She tugged the cool silver plated crucifix pendant from beneath her sweatshirt and undid it from her neck. Her hand instead held onto the thin chain firmly as it swung freely in the air. There’s something that filled Luz with a certain sense of uneasiness, however. The strange sensation of being watched plagued the back of her mind as she paused to look behind herself.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As if on cue, the wind blows again. This time, strong enough to cause her hoodie to ripple in the short burst. There was no one there. She blames it on her mind playing tricks on her all the while her level of awareness to her surroundings became heightened with every passing second.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She turns back towards her original direction and begins walking once again, not bothering to slow down until reaching an alleyway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The wind blew again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But there was silence. Appearing to be nothing for her to worry about, but still. The uneasiness that someone could be preying on her seemed to never waver.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz stared into the alleyway, “Hello?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Nothing.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Something was off about all of this…</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Every hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she decided to take the first step towards the darkened corner. There’s a rustling sound of an animal rummaging through a nearby dumpster. The Latina’s hands clenched harder at her sides, nails biting into her palms as she faced the end of the path. It’s blocked off by a brick wall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She doesn’t know why she even walked down here anyway, and she’s almost tempted to walk away. There’s a loud coo that amplifies through Luz’s ears and makes her take a step back. She braced herself against the wall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Who’s there?” She asked cautiously, hesitation lacing through her features as she moved to press her back further against the wall.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The same noise comes again. It sounds like an animal. And Luz catches a glimpse of dark brown feathers from the soft glow of sunlight from above the towering buildings on either side of the alleyway. The words seem to lodge themselves in her throat while she stares at the creature dumbfoundedly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Owlbert?” She tried, at the sound of the name, the creature responded by fluttering over towards her. Luz easily notices a piece of trash wedged in its beak as the small owl stares at her with golden eyes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my goodness,” Luz said in excitement, “it <em>is</em> you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The small owl swiftly perched himself on Luz’s shoulder. The sound of her necklace falling from her fist barely registers through her ears as she brings her hands up to pull the owl against her cheek fondly, “I missed you buddy!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The owl gave a pleased sound, fluttering his wings once again as he regains his stance on the human’s hoodie.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“How’s Eda—Er… I mean—” She paused, cocking a questionable brow at the creature, “Why are you here?” Luz questioned. The palisman started to try to explain with its body, suggesting that he was there for the trash dumpster. “Trash day?” Luz furthermore asked, and the owl gives an affirmed hoot.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been looking all over for you,” Luz declared. “Can you maybe take me to—” She’s stopped midsentence at the sound of a firm thud drawing her to the sight in front of her. The light obscured her view greatly, making it hard to directly see the copper haired man in front of her, but she was able to make out the tall lanky silhouette.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hello,” She said quietly, “Who are you?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Remus,” it responded in a monotone. Sounding masculine to the human’s ears.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I—Uh,” Luz trailed off, at a loss for words as the man stepped further toward her frame. “What are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t respond. And the lack of exchange made her heart substantially increase in rhythm as she easily ran through the possible outcomes of this interaction in her head. All of them ended in her demise. Luz suddenly searched for her necklace from her hand, but to no avail, she panicked. It was too dark to see the ground.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Stay back,” She swiftly demanded. Her voice seemed to quiver despite her best effort to steady herself in the frightening scenario. The figure took another step towards her, and Luz felt Owlbert’s wings stretch themselves outwards before digging his blunt talons into her shoulder and lifting himself up, so he hovered over her shoulder and gave a loud screech that reverberated deep inside of Luz’s chest.</p><p> </p><p><br/>She hadn’t heard that noise come from him before, and panic seemed to seethe inside of her at the disturbing Earth shattering sound.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m just doing my job kid,” Remus said, “Don’t take it personally.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Owlbert,” said Luz, brushing the palisman away from herself, “<em>Go</em>. Tell Eda that I’m in danger.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Do you really think that bird could help you?” It comes out as a scoff, and it leaves Luz to frown at the jab.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t underestimate my friends.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Your all foolish,” The figure laughed, “You can’t possibly think that you’re going to be even existent when I’m done human.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t give up that easy. Try me,” Luz’s foot scrapped against the broken gravel as it came behind herself to form a fighting stance. The light seems to catch the edge of the man’s sly toothy smile. Sharp razor canines gleam smoothy within with what light remained, and the sight sent a long shudder to ripple down her spine. She wasn’t going to win, Luz knew it now.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Strong marble colored skin, blood red eyes. Luz knew that it would catch up to her eventually, but she didn’t know it would be this soon.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The word echoed in her mind, all of her research proved to become utterly useless to her now. Coming face to face with a vampire. She didn’t even know any spells that could help her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>That wasn’t even a topic of discussion when she became Eda’s apprentice. Who expects to become hunted by a vampire? She mentally curses Eda’s unprepared forms of teaching.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She’s too young to die. What about her mother? She’d be devastated. Nonetheless, dying at the hands of some fictional character one would only hear in horror novels.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After all, when confessed. She didn’t believe in it. Maybe it’d wake her up if she did die… Yeah, that might not be so bad.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But still, it’s death. <em>Her</em> death.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Within a blink of her eyes, the creature has her pinned to the wall by the collar of her sweatshirt. It reminds her strongly of her dream. Except Amity wasn’t there, and instead— “Owlbert. You’ve got to go buddy. I don’t want you to watch this.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She feels a ticking sensation as feathers lightly scrape against her face all the while the palisman tried to cut between them firmly. The man’s deathly cold hand quickly swats him away, but the owl’s persistence earned Luz a few more seconds to heave what air she could muster into her deprived lungs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Shoo.” The vampire spat. “Damn bird.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t talk to Owlbert like that,” Luz cried, “You—” She tried to kick the vampire in an attempt to connect with the figure’s lower body, but let out a sharp yelp in pain as she groaned out instead. His skin was as tough as a stone, colder perhaps and Luz swore for a minute it must’ve shattered her kneecap.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Quit thinking you can get out of this kid,” Remus puffed in her face, “Just give up. You ain’t gonna get anywhere. I’m stronger.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No,” Luz snapped, opening her mouth to let out a sharp scream in a last resort to call for help, but the vampire quickly thrusted her against the wall to silence her. She groaned again in pain.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Why can’t we—uh… Talk about this, huh?” Luz stammered, “You know? Why do we just have to be enemies?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I wasn’t sent here to protect you Noceda.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“So what? You were sent to <em>kill</em> me?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Now,” He spoke, his tone switching from harsh to being sugarcoated and sickening, “I wouldn’t say <em>that</em>. I’m just doing what’s right.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz struggled against the grip, “You think doing <em>this</em> is right?” she remarked sternly. “I’m going to <em>die</em>? What if—” Luz stumbled, “What if our roles were reversed, wouldn’t you be at least even a bit terrified?”</p><p> </p><p><br/>The vampire gave a short chuckle. His scarred finger coming up to drag the falling bangs from Luz’s eyes as she continued to fumble with her words. “I rarely feel anything. It’s just food, I can’t afford to give it much time of day.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“B-But…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” Remus uttered pridefully, “It’ll be over before you know it. I’ll be careful human.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>His cold hand presses against her jaw and slowly tilts her face to the side. Luz feels her pulse increase as he leans in and inhale deeply. She could feel the significant temperature shift from how far his skin was from her exposed neck.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You smell—” He cuts himself off with a groan. Luz could practically hear the lust seeping from his voice as his tone switched dramatically. “—So <em>fresh</em>. So <em>rich</em>.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Blood.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Remus pressed his face further against her pulse point and runs a shielded fang against the tan skin, Luz shivered at the contact and squeaked out timidly. The vampire’s deathly cold skin mixed with his firm hold on her hoodie left her in a certain sort of inhuman daze. Her heart was thrumming louder than she’d ever heard it before in her life as she attempted to keep herself rooted to the Earth mentally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>A sharp primal growl ruptures the short fog and immediately pain blossoms through her veins. Fangs unsheathing and tearing into flesh. She feels the toxins enter her bloodstream within seconds, quicker than she desires. Every second feels as if her body was being set alight. The cold hands on her jaw did nothing to cool the burning sensation that brought her body to a screeching halt. Luz hears the vigorous thrumming of her heart from her ears start to slow down and the searing pain doesn’t cease until she lets go of her last ounce of strength.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The world tuning out as her eyelids fluttered closed softly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Then there was nothing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>A.</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-16 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Owlbert, how many times do I have to tell you… Quit bothering me unless it’s an emergency.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The small palisman perches on the corner of the spare bedroom window within The Owl House and stares heatedly at the teenage witch.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“And <em>no</em>.” She grumbled. “King wanting more snacks does <em>not</em> count as an emergency.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The owl gives another distressed hoot, and flew onto Amity’s shoulder before fluttering over her head and using his talons to pull off the small stocking hat from her head, leaving matted spiked russet strands to spill across her face partially.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey! Give that back!” She hollered. “I don’t know what your on, but I’m busy!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With no response, she gave a defeated sigh and resumed her gaze at the night sky. There’s a quiet scurrying of claws against the wooden floor and she feels fur against her leg as watches the small animal straddle the windowsill on the other side of her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” She musters. King gives a loud sigh, his poison eyes fix themselves on the girl’s line of sight.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Any sign of Eda?” King asked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No,” She said quietly, “Owlbert’s been in a mood ever since he returned though.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t mind him Amity,” said King, eyeing the witch slowly, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Amity looks down to the demon and gives a solemn smile, “I’ve been better. You know?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Do you ever think she’ll come back?” Amity pondered slowly. “I still don’t understand how she just disappeared like that.”</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“I know you miss her,” King retorts, “I miss her too— And Eda. I think Owlbert is just taking it hard.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well, I don’t blame him,” Amity stated, looking towards the ajar door across the bedroom, “I think Eda just took it the worst.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>King broke the silence after a few minutes, “Do you still have that note you were going to give her?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Amity feels heat flood her face as she gave a nervous smile, “O-Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>L.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-?-}</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Luz, how many times have I told you not to do such brash things?” Eda’s voice echoed softly, and Luz slowly blinked her eyes open to stare up to pale yellow irises, “Are you okay? I don’t think humans are supposed to do that.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz let out a loud groan and slowly attempted to shift, quickly finding that she couldn’t move from the waist down. She balanced herself on her hands as Eda quickly sunk back, King’s furry frame came rushing toward her face and it took Eda’s strength to grab him by the scruff of his neck and hold him back to give her some room, “Jeez, give the poor human some space. Won’t ya?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Eda,” Luz croaked out slowly, “What’s… What’s happened?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz looked around herself, finding her vision filled with the inner workings of the familiar living room. It was then that she jumped from the sudden touch of her shoulder. The human girl shifted slowly, Gus and Willow were sure enough kneeling close to her as well, and Amity… It’s now that she’s came to realize that she’s the one touching her shoulder.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>But why?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“You hit your head pretty hard back there kid,” Eda spoke, “But it’s gonna be alright. Good ol’ Eda will have you fixed up in no time.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“And I’m here to assist!” King said, proudly puffing out his chest after climbing up onto the coffee table.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“But—” Luz trailed off, she looked down, “My legs.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It’s then that she heard Amity’s voice whisper just loud enough for her to hear, “You broke them when you fell.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I fell?” Luz remarked, sounding alarmed, “But… How?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You fell out of a—” Gus tried to point out only to be paused by Willow nudging him in his side and her shaking her head at the younger boy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“What Gus was trying to say Luz, was that you were trying to prove a point with Boscha and she ended up casting some spell that knocked you out of a window.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She let out a heavy sigh, “Farts.” Luz murmured under her breath then looked back up to Eda, “How even did I—”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Amity hastily cut her off, “It was my fault actually.” She tried to turn away sharply in an attempt to suppress the way her cheeks were slowly turning pink, “I’m sorry Luz, I know how she is.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No,” Luz shook her head with a small smile, waving her hand reassuringly to the green haired witch and reaching up slowly to cover the back of her hand, “Don’t be, it’s fine. I forgive you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Amity looked at her and glanced down at where Luz touched the back of her hand then back up to the human girl’s hazel eyes. They come to somehow hold the contact continuously, staring at each other for what felt like several minutes. Luz isn’t quite so sure why she hasn’t looked away, and why Amity’s reacting so visually by the gesture, but she keeps staring until she hears Eda clear her throat.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hey kid,” Eda interrupts, “I meant to ask you about your mom.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“My mom?” Luz said, and Eda nodded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“When she found the portal door, what happened? Where did you go Luz?”</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The last phrase echoed slowly inside of Luz’s mind, and somehow the world around her seemed to fade into a sense of slow motion as the words tuned out gradually. She couldn’t hear anything that Eda was saying, her lips kept on moving before her eyes. Apparently no one seemed to notice either because at the same time, she couldn’t open her mouth to speak. Luz blinked a few times, and suddenly the room faded to black all around her. It felt as if the world had been ripped from beneath her all over again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘Where did you go Luz?’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Where did she go?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-Grom [AU]-}</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-14 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>The dark blob stretched outwards and stuck it’s arm out towards her forehead, it’s gooey black tentacle squished audibly against her forehead, and suddenly her eyes blinked translucent blue for a split second upon the contact, effortlessly reflecting into Grom’s pale white eyes, they flash before the creature slinks back down to the floor before reappearing as the yellow eyed portal door.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The blue light from the door appearing made Luz need to turn away in order to shield her eyes, finding her vision temporary blinded for moment as she slowly turned back to stare at the blue aura-filled door in confusion. “Huh?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At that same moment, the door knob slowly turned and the pale white light that shined behind the figure makes almost everything fade into a numbing blur. She can’t concentrate on anything else but the sound of her own heart rattling inside of her chest. Luz knows she’s about seconds away from having ten separate heart attacks all because what she’s been fearing all this time deep down has finally resurfaced. And at the time that least convenient. Nonetheless everyone could see it, and if that wasn’t embarrassing enough Luz didn’t know what was at the least.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Mom, what are you doing here?” Luz practically choked on the air around her upon uttering the words.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Luz?” Camila asked slowly, walking forward cautiously, and surveying the arena slowly, “What is this terrible place? This doesn’t look like camp at all mi hija.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Wait—” Luz quickly said, “I can totally explain.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“And is that a weapon in your hand?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz looked to the flail being held tightly in her hands, the sharp remark caused her to drop it suddenly as her mother seemed to grab hold of her wrist firmly, “I promise mami, it’s not what it looks like!” She derided with haste.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Come on Luz, we’re going home.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No, wait. I don’t want—” Luz gets cut off suddenly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She hears the voices swirling around in her mind all over again as she slowly is tugged towards the open pale light. Camila’s grip on her wrist falters and she suddenly disappeared into the white light. With some amount of luck, somehow Luz managed to free herself just in time to find the portal directly closing around her. To her own horror it pushes her towards the white room and slams shut forcefully. Luz notices the knob twirl slightly. She’s not sure if it’s because of Grom’s illusion trying to get inside of her head, but her heart directly finds its way to lodge itself into her throat as her hands immediately grab onto the golden knob and attempt to twist it open. Jiggling it half-hazardly to try and open it as best she could.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She’s come to realize that it is indeed what she feared: It’s locked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“No,” Luz chanted slowly under her breath, “No, no, no, no.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She started to bang on the wooden door deliriously, continuing to chant out the same word repeatedly as tears quickly sprung beneath her eyelids, “Can anyone hear me?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There’s no answer, and in any case she turned to look at the rest of the room. It appeared to be more of the same gleaming white light, swirling and blinding her the more she looked deeper into it. Camila is nowhere to be found.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>And Luz quickly finds out something incredibly terrifying to realize.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The locked door appeared to be disintegrating slowly, fading into the same white nothingness that the whole room remained in. She tried her best to remain calm as the panic welled inside of her chest, she could feel her own hands shake as she fished out one of the small paper glyphs from her pocket and placed it onto the door. Tapping the center of the circle, it immediately caused the paper to glow the light shade of blue and form a thin sheet of ice over the golden knob and lock. With a fire glyph, it manages to burn a hole into the side of the door that was previously covered in ice, revealing a sliver of Grom’s arena.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Come on… Come on…. Come on…” Luz starts to chant again, slipping a hand through the small hole, she attempts to pull herself free from the room. She felt hands start to clutch her own outstretched one and they pull.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She feels Eda’s hand. She knows it’s Eda’s from the firm cool grasp she held, the bumpy ring she wore creasing into the back of her palm as several other hands gripped her wrist and arm. She thinks for a minute that she’s going to get free. <em>She truly does…</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>But just as hope seemed to be on her side, the door’s hole began to shrink to the point where it disappeared. The window into Grom’s stage cut into her sleeve tightly, causing her pain as she continued to try and damage the door further.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Hold on Luz!” She thought she heard someone yell at one point, it’s potentially laced with distress. Rightfully so, she was indeed in distress too.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Perhaps humans shouldn’t be witches after all, she couldn’t even do this one thing without it backfiring.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>How pathetic of her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t—Uh… I don’t think—”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Shut up kid!” Eda interjected firmly, Luz can barely make out the words, but the tears that were soon after coating her cheeks were all the more real, “We’re going to get you out of this. I promise. As your mentor I promised that I’d look out for you, and that isn’t going to stop now.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘Take me home, take me home!’</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry you guys,” She shouted, Luz tried to swallow the lump that had formed in the back of her throat as the students and chaperones from Hexside continued to try and pull her through the small hole, “I couldn’t---” Luz tried to say, but was quickly cut off by the force of the door thrusting her back. It caused her to fall backwards onto her back with a grunt as the door destroyed itself the rest of the way, leaving her in the mind numbing white room.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“—save you from Grom.” She finished scarcely, all the more concerned as she slowly pushed herself up from where she fell and dusted off her pink skirt.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>‘What even is this place?’ </em>Luz pondered slightly as her feet began to move subconsciously forward, she looked around herself, specifically at the blank room since that was the only real thing to look at, and gave a short glance at where she thought the door was just a few seconds ago. Luz let out a loud sigh.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Well, it’s just you and me brain,” The Latina spoke, her fingers came up to tap her forehead, her face breaking out in a small smile  before wiping the corners of her eyes with the heel of her palm, “Isn’t that right hand?” She continued, moving her hand to her eyes, and flexing her fingers onto her thumb a few times, “Oh yes, totally right Luz,” The human spoke in a different pitched voice before dropping the hand back to her side with another sigh.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘If that illusion of my mother came through the door… Then that must mean that Grom came through the door with me—’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘—Which means Grom is in here with me.’</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There’s a loud roar from the distance and Luz can’t help but spot a black blob that seemed as if it was sprinting at her full force. She panicked, swallowing thickly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Oh crud.”</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><hr/><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>{-16 years-}</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>  </strong>
</p><p>A sharp cough causes Luz to immediately bolt upright from the ground, her hands covered her mouth as her body shook in ample agony. Her eyes quickly flicked around herself and she noticed the scenery change. She’s in the middle of a forest.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh good. Your awake.” A voice speaks. Luz lets out a yelp, and furrowed her brow as a small boy comes into view.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He smiled, gesturing a hand to himself, “My name is Vladimir, my friends call me Vlad.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Luz pursed her lips and cleared her throat, a function that didn’t seem at all normal for herself. She realizes it quickly, how parched her mouth feels. Like she needs water. She could drink the whole ocean. All the while, it burned to even inhale.</p><p> </p><p><br/>Actually, she didn’t even really find herself needing air.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>She was just really thirsty.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Say-uh…” Luz leans up on her hands, “You wouldn’t happen to know where I could get some water, could you?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Vlad gave a concerned frown, “Water? No, no, no. Why would you need water?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m thirsty?” Luz inquired, “What’s the other reason?” He gave a loud laugh, and Luz frowned, “What’s so funny?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t want water,” He spoke surely, “You want <em>blood</em>.”</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>now we have a bisexual lonely vampire and a depressed lesbian witch... and a supportive demonic friend... what tropes... ahh... sorry updates are slow... please don't yell at me... i'm fragile...</p><p>and... THIS IS NOW AN AU... apparently... basically a grom au thing because i need to make plot seem sensible with Camila knowing about The Boiling Isles... just wait until you place your darn assumptions.</p><p>yes, amity and luz will reconnect soon... soon... and going against beta lumity because i'm evil... okay... and we're making amity a fragile person here... and eda... where is eda?! (uh... uh... well...)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please let me know what you thought! </p><p>  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Lumity_Simping">Drop a prompt for TOH fics, let's all connect! :) </a><br/></p></blockquote></div></div>
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